November invariably means colder temperatures and the occasional wet weather, conditions that the Paradise High varsity football team seems to thrive in every year.

While it didn’t rain on Friday night, Paradise’s Om Wraith Field was a muddy mess from storms earlier in the week. The Bobcats, seeded No. 2 for the second straight season, took advantage of the mud once again, by running the football essentially all night and rolling up 527 yards of offense — 520 of which came on the ground — to blow out third-seeded Chico, 45-12 and advance to their sixth straight Northern Section CIF Division I final.

Paradise senior quarterback Kenny Bengson attempted just two passes all game, finishing 1 of 2 for 7 yards through the air.

While he said it was unusual, it wasn’t unexpected.

“Not too often,” said Bengson on attempting just two passes, “but it happens when the conditions are right. We knew the field was muddy and pretty wet so we knew the passing game wouldn’t be in effect, so running was definitely what we planned.”

The reward for Paradise (8-3) is a second crack at top-seeded and 11-0 Enterprise in a rematch of last year’s championship game next Saturday night at Enterprise Community Stadium a.k.a. the Hornets Nest, where Paradise lost 42-7 earlier this year. Enterprise won its semifinal game at home over fifth-seeded Foothill, 57-14.

Paradise seems to be much improved than the last time it faced the Hornets, at least it appeared that way against a Chico team that struggled to fire up its explosive offense all night.

“A lot of our offense is our passing game and we couldn’t get it going tonight,” Chico coach Jason Alvistur said. “I think our receivers were a step or two slow in the mud and our offensive line had a hard time getting (its) footing. I’m not making excuses, but I think that’s just the facts.”

Down 24-0 at halftime, Chico (5-7) finally got on the board on its first possession of the second half, when junior quarterback Clayton Welch found sophomore tight end Nate Guanzon in the back of the end zone for a 19-yard touchdown to cut the deficit to 24-6 with 9 minutes, 51 seconds to go in the third quarter. Welch looked like the top-ranked passer in the section on that particular drive, completing all three of his passes for 71 yards.

Chico elected to go for two, just like it did on the final play of a 47-46 loss in overtime to Paradise a month ago. While the play call was different, the result was the same, as Welch was stopped just shy of the goal line by senior defensive end Jonathan Dixon to keep the Panthers at six points.

A little later, Paradise answered Chico’s score in the form it had all night — a rushing touchdown from over 30 yards out. This one came courtesy of Bengson sprinting around the left edge and just inside a clear out block from senior running back Mat Machado on Chico’s Kody Sonday to score a 51-yard touchdown and extend the lead to 31-6.

“I was trying to read his block and saw him kick him out and I just took it up the field and saw daylight,” said Bengson, who finished with 111 yards on nine carries after accruing just 10 in the first half. “I think our offensive line has really picked it up and our backs have figured it out with our blocking schemes.”

Paradise’s defense also came up big and even got into the scoring parade, when junior Andrew Machado picked off Welch on a hitch route intended for wide out Noah Collado and took it 44 yards to the end zone for a touchdown to push the lead to 38-6.

“The defense had a huge impact for sure,” said Bengson, who doubles as a defensive back. “Our DBs have struggled throughout the year, but they got some picks, a pick-six and really stepped it up. Our linebackers did great and our D-line tore it up, too.”

Dixon, the game’s leading rusher with 218 yards on 22 carries, capped the Bobcats’ scoring with a 37-yard jaunt through the left side and into the end zone, extending the lead to 45-12 with just over 4 minutes left.

Mat Machado complemented the 6-foot-1, 215-pound Dixon with 152 yards on 13 carries and a touchdown, while senior fullback Nick Klein collected the first big play of the night with a 43-yard run to set up sophomore placekicker Mitchell McFarland’s 30-yard field goal early in the first quarter.

Up next for Paradise is a chance to spoil Enterprise’s perfect season and possible NorCal state playoff bid, as well as avenge a three-game skid to the Hornets in NSCIF finals dating back to 2000.

“We know we got to play a perfect game, we know how good they’re,” Bengson said. “Our passing game is definitely going to have to be there next week.”

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For more on the buildup to round four of Paradise-Enterprise in section finals, go to www.paradisepost.com and www.chicoer.com/sports next week. Connect with Paradise Post Sports Editor Jeff Larson at www.twitter.com/jtlarson.